Dragons Can't Cry
by fenix-ashes
Summary: What if when you died you had enough ties to your past that you couldn't move on? Championshipping
1. st chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own this.

I closed my eyes, so that I wouldn't see them; Delia crying on grandpa's shoulder, Misty on Brock's and countless others morning for a person whom was now dead.

My gaze was drawn like metal to lodestone towards Ash's coffin, which was currently being lowered into the ground. It was pretty pointless to bury the coffin because Ash had requested to be cremated not buried. His ashes were currently resting on Delia's fireplace inside an obsidian urn that Lance had provided her with as well as a small portion residing inside of a special made pendent made up of a glass bubble on a basic silver backing.

My gaze shifted to the mentioned dragon master who was currently staring blankly at the rectangular hole being filled with dirt. His dragonite was nuzzling his hair in an unsuccessful attempt to break him out of his self-imposed depression.

I closed my eyes again to block out the sight of the sea weeping people all of them dressed in black and wished I could block out the sounds as well, Ash had touched a lot of people's lives over the years and now they mourned the loss of him, the dragon master included. Ash, my mind cried out in despair, why did you have to leave me? Why did you have to die?

My mind brought the memories of his death still painfully clear to my mind.

_I had been traveling with Ash from Lavender town to Sliver City where we would meet with Lance to go on a small trip into the dragon holy land._

_When we were about a day out of Silver, Jessie and James decided to make one of their seemingly annual attempts to take Pikachu from Ash. _

_Jessie, James and Meowth had all quit team rocket about a year before and had started up a fast food franchise that quickly gained in popularity leaving that trio richer than Giovanni._

_After the initial exchange of insults Arboc and Wheezing were tossed into a battle to take out Pikachu._

_During the battle Arboc had shot a poison sting at Pikachu who dodged it, allowing the attack to hit Ash instead. Ash stood still for a few seconds as if in shock as a hundred poison darts connected with his skin, paralyzing all of the nerves as the first wave of poison hit his system, spreading throughout his body._

_The next moments were a blur, I think I rushed over to where Ash was and in desperation grabbed one of the pokéballs at Ash's belt. The pokéball turned out to have Charizard resting inside of it._

_Charizard had decided to return to Ash a while ago after deciding that he had had enough training with the other Charizards._

_Charizard took one look at Ash's prone body and turned a fury that only a fire type pokémon could have on first the pokémon Arboc and Wheezing, then on Meowth, Jessie and James. Leaving nothing behind but blackened ground from his fire's heat, he had then grabbed his trainer in his powerful forearms and shot off at an impossible speed that was fueled more by desperation than Rage. _

_The next thing I was aware of was sitting on top of Arcanine with Pikachu hanging onto me by biting her sharp fangs into my arm as the fire pokémon followed the path to Silver city._

_When I reached Silver city I found out where Ash was by talking to a local, asking if he had seen a Charzard, he told me that last night what seemed to be a crazed Charizard carrying a dead human had appeared at the entrance to the local hospital. I thanked the man and rushed off to the hospital._

_At the hospital I was greeted by the sight of Lance having an argument with a doctor, he had an anxious look on his face that could only mean something bad. I found out it was, Ash was apparently not recovering but was at least conscious for the moment I got Lance to stop his depressed hovering and leave so that I could talk to Ash in private, or as private as it could get with a Pikachu crying at the foot of the bed._

_Ash had looked at me sadly but with a hint of amusement, "I guess this means I won't be getting top tonight."_

_I remember that I had given him an incredulous look, wondering why he was trying to lighten the mood. "Ash, you're going to die, and you're making jokes about it?"_

"_Well why not?" He looked at me with his brown eyes still filled with his fiery spirit, "we all die sometime, so why not accept it joyfully?" He then sighed and lowered his hypnotizing eyes away from mine, "Gary, please, when I die burn my body and raise my pokémon for me, that's all I want. Alright?" His eyes pleaded with mine asking me to accept the inevitable and move on._

_I closed my eyes and swallowed past the lump that had lodged itself in my throat and nodded._

"_Good," he sounded relieved and a little devious, "though it would be nice to have sex with you just one last time."_

_My eyes shot open to glare at Ash, "In a hospital? As you're dieing? With the security camera in here? With the chance of anyone from the doctor to your mom walking in?"_

_Ash grinned and rolled his eyes, "I wasn't being serious Gary you just needed to lighten up a bit."_

Ash had died the next day in pain that nothing could block out. As per his requests, his body had been burned and his pokémon handed to me.

I fingered the pendant around my neck and thought, Ash, my love, I'll never forget you but I won't cry for you because then I would have to let you go and I won't.

[Ash's POV]

The pain had stopped.

I feel...I feel...Well I feel nothing now, I guess that means that I'm dead. Well- that sucks.

I looked around wildly, there was nothing to be seen except for continues darkness. Or maybe it's not continues, it just feels that way but really there are walls right in front of my face.

I start groping around in the darkness, trying to find something, **anything.**

I sigh and sit on more non-existent space, I guess I'm not as accepting of my death as I portrayed to Gary...Gary, I wonder if he's ok. Hopefully he's not too saddened by my death, he was pretty sad when I last saw him. How long ago was that? How long had I been looking around aimlessly?

Waitaminuet! When you die aren't you suppose to see a light at the end of the tunnel? Or at lest see the world as a ghost? Is there something wrong with my death? Am I even dead?

I look frantically around myself again, hoping to see something again, even if it's just my body. I say an iridescent thick cord of light. Attached to my heart? I tugged on it a little.

It felt like everyone I had ever known was surrounding me, but I still couldn't see them! I started walking it the direction the cord disappeared to.

[Gary's POV]

I stood up abruptly, I couldn't stand to be in the same place as the rest of the mourners. I had heard that there was going to be a reception at Delia's house, even now people were walking in that direction. I had no desire to go to a party, most likely they would be talking about how much they missed Ask as they ate and listened to soft music.

They sickened me, claiming to have actually cared for him as they celebrated the fact that he was no longer living.

Pikachu darted up to me weaving about the various bodies shifting around us and hopped up onto my shoulder. I shook my head to clear it of thoughts and walked over to my convertible remembering all the times Ash had teased me about needing to drive around instead of walking.

I got in the car and drove off, not caring where I went.

[Ash's POV]

For the past um, for the past period of time I had been seeing some sort of light other than my cord. The cord itself seemed to be leading off into the light.

Abruptly I was in the light. I realized suddenly that I hadn't been breathing or blinking inside of the darkness. Now, now I was somewhere strange, for one thing I knew I was trapped inside of something, as to what I didn't know but I wanted out, now. I started moving around pressing up against the sides of my confines and was gratified to find that the substance that made up my cage was cracking. I began to tap against the stuff with my body.

After about five minuets, I felt a rush of cold air as I tumbled out of my confinement head over tail?! I swung my head around weakly and then flopped it onto the ground, I felt to weak to do anything else but lay there.

Then I felt a presence right above me and tried to look up but failing. Giving the being above me the chance to do whatever it wanted. I felt a presence within my mind, it moved around a bit reading my memories as if reading papers and felt it do something with my memories then, suddenly I felt the presence send me to sleep.

I came abruptly back to consciousness for some reason but didn't move I still had no idea of where I was or what was going on. -So Ash, you're awake now.- I opened an eye to see none other than Mewtwo [BA: When Mewtwo was messing with Ash's mind he unlocked his memories of what happened in the first pokémon movie.] resting on the air beside me.

I tried to say something to him but all I could do was make a faint warble. Just try to send me what you want to convey by focusing them at me with your mind.

I complied and managed to get out, What's going on?

Mewtwo sighed and floated down to where I was laying, Ash, you know you died. He paused as if to find the right words. When a creature dies they are given an option of taking a break from life and wandering around as ghosts. Or they can be reincarnated immediately as either a human or a pokémon.

On some rare occasions a creature dies and has so many connections to their past that they aren't given an option and have to go back to life immediately without the choice of a body. In some rarer cases the person actually retains some memories of their past life, as it seems you do.

It took me a bit to digest that, I'm probably a pokémon now considering the fact I'm not in a hospital, all that was left to discover was what kind of pokémon I am. I lifted my long head up and looked him in the eye, so I'm now a pokémon? What one am I?

Mewtwo looked for some reason embarrass, I was experimenting with pokémon DNA and kind of, created you.

Ash I told myself, calm down, you can't find anything out if you try and kill Mewtwo, so what did you do to me?

Mewtwo thought for a bit before replying leaving me to contemplate my empty stomach. I created I new kind of dragon entirely, instead of the regular two kinds of specialties I made it so you didn't have any, creating the possibility for any kind of attack.

I ignored this and looked at him with impatience, so what kind of creature am I?

I don't know.

I chose at that moment to explode at him, YOU DON"T KNOW? YOU DON'T KNOW!? My screaming must have hurt Mewtwo's head because he got an unfocused look in his eyes. So I asked him in a quieter voice How can you not know?

My stomach chose at that moment to rumble loud enough for both of us to hear it. Mewtwo gave me a knowing look before drifting over to someplace and turned back with a bowl of grayish meat chopped into small bits. Eat this the bowl wafted over to a spot right in front of my nose that I basically pounced on, I thought you might need the meat, your body was designed to grow up faster than the average pokémon, you'll have reached your adult height and strength in about two weeks.

Your body needed to compensate for the growth it is currently experiencing; it did so be requiring large amounts of energy. If you didn't get the energy you most likely will have stunted your growth.

I snorted, well that's cheerful to know about. What is this?

Magikarp from the pond next to this cave.

I finished eating and looked around, where are the pokémon you took with you?

Mewtwo gave the impression of a shrug, Mew left with them to someplace or another leaving me here by myself.

That sucks, I felt suddenly weak again and curled up into a ball.

Mewtwo leaned over and examined me with concern, you shouldn't be so weak just after eating although there is an already noticeable increase in your size. Unfortunately at this rate you will be forced to continually eat until you have reached your full growth for your current stage of evolution.

Oh shit I groaned to myself, how the hell can I eat that much? Waitaminuet, I looked up again to see Mewtwo waiting for me to say something. You said I'm a electric type right?

Not precisely but you have the potential to be one.

I nodded, so if you have electricity in this cave then you could just hook me up and it'll power me.

The purple pokémon seemed to be considering the suggestion for a bit then he nodded to himself and extended a three-fingered hand in the opposite direction and gestured in mine. A wire crackled and glowed a violent mauve, Mewtwo gestured at me with his hand and the wire responded by touching my spine, energy surged throughout my body as it was suddenly absorbed.

I looked around suddenly and saw to my amazement that the stone shelf I was laying on seemed to have grown smaller, I looked over to where Mewtwo was standing and saw that he was smaller as well, Well it seems that the boost of electricity managed to dramatically increase your growth.

I bobbed my head numbly and asked, can I see a mirror? I kind of want to see what I look like.

Mewtwo nodded and created a physic mirror in front of me. [BA: am I just confused in thinking that there is a move called Mirror Wall?]

I peered into the mirror to see two greenish-blue eyes stare back at me, then to my astonishment they turned a light purple. Why were my eyes changing color? I shook my wedge shaped head and stood on all fours to see the rest of me. I was covered in a purplish blue fur with longer black fur on my spine. My body itself resembled a Gyarados or an ekans in body shape [Ra'athe meaning he looks kind of like a snake] only with some powerful hind legs and strong fore ones each ending in a sharp looking talon. I bared my teeth in satisfaction, my new body was cool looking.

I looked up from the ground to where Mewtwo was hovering above my head, Damn, you still beat me.

Mewtwo smiled, only by a little, you have gotten really strong, I'd say about level 31 by now.

I stood on my hind legs and peered off into the horizon where the mainland was, I wanted to go but I didn't want to leave Mewtwo by himself again. Ash, you should probably go, you retained your memories for a reason. I reluctantly looked back to him and saw how much his eyes belied the fact he didn't want to be forced to be a hermit again.

My own eyes didn't stay the same color because they reflected my emotions into colors, truly windows to the soul I thought sarcastically to myself even now they must be telling Mewtwo about my concerns. Mewtwo I really don't know if I should.

Mewtwo rolled his eyes, in case you've forgotten Ash, I'm a physic, if you're really that worried then I can create a mindlink between us, alright?

I nodded in surprise. I thought my mental shielding was better than that, oh well nothing can be perfect. How do you make a link?

like this, I felt Mewtwo inside my mind again only this time he grabbed onto something inside of me and pulled it back to his body.

That's it? I tilted my head to the side curious to find out what the link did.

Yes, now we can communicate as well as see through each other's eyes even if on the opposite sides of the world.

All I could think of t say was one word, cool.

We probably should come up with a new name for you now that you're in a new life.

Ok, but what?

Mewtwo shrugged, it's your name you come up with it.

I glared at him, that's not fair, could you at least help me a little?

He sighed mentally, What's the first name that comes to your mind?

Ash.

He gave me an exasperated look, try again.

umm. I suddenly thought up a good name that carried an ironic twist with it, one that I had used before, Satoshi.

Alright Satoshi why don't you go to your funeral? Your coffin's being buried right now.

I nodded and crouched to leap into the air, See you later! I sprang up into the air and flapped a few times to reach a good flying altitude.


	2. nd chapter

[Gary's POV]

I ended up sitting by Pallet lake with Pikachu sitting next to me, both of us staring across the water. My eyes stung with unshed tears, I was still unwilling to let Ash go.

I sat there for a bit just remembering him when I saw a shadow above me, I didn't look up to see who it was because all I wanted right now was to be by myself.

The shadow didn't go away and saw a glimpse of purple and blue in the corner of my eye as something crouched down next to me. At this point I was curious enough to look over and see who or what it was.

It was the most beautiful dragon pokémon I heave ever seen and it was staring at me with sorrowful eyes that I just couldn't stop looking into.

[Lance's POV]

My ass is cold. I sighed, well that's what you get for sitting in a chair for a few hours without moving.

I sighed again and looked around, everyone else had long sense left leaving dragonite and myself alone. My mind drifted back to why I was here at all, Ash. Ash was dead and it was all my fault. I just had to stay obsessed with him, his voice, his smile, his laugh... I shook my head to dispel the thoughts, Ash had loved Gary and Gary had loved Ash. But still I had allowed my obsession to fester, talking to and seeing him as frequently as possible without him suspecting anything. And now, it was truly all my fault that he had died.

Dragonite butted his head violently against my shoulder forcing me to turn and see his look of sympathy, dragonite made a sound of concern and questioning and waited for me to respond.

I patted him lightly on the nose, "you're right, we should leave." I stood and dragonite presented his back to me, I jumped on and clung to his back as we flew off.

[Gary's POV]

I knew only one thing at that moment, capture that dragon. I tossed out Umbreon and directed him to attack the dragon whom had reared his head back and hissed at me. I ignored it and directed her to use bite on the odd pokémon.

[Ash's POV]

I half reared back in surprise as Umbreon appeared, what did Gary think he was doing? I knew the answer when I heard him command the dark pokémon to attack.

Gary wanted to capture me! The nerve of that jerk! Now now Satoshi, I doubt Gary knows who you really are besides a powerful pokémon.

Umbreon jumped forwards and tried to grab my tail with her teeth, I whacked her with it instead, That's not the point Mewtwo! And you know it! Umbreon backed away from me as I started glowing a bit in my anger.

Satoshi! Gary doesn't know who you are but he still wants you and is trying in the only way he knows to keep you. I felt Mewtwo leave my mind to ponder on that without his interference.

Umbreon seemed to be preparing to attack again so I tried a different tactic, -Umbreon! You know who I am! Do you really want to hurt me?-

The dark dog paused, -We may have been comrades but master tells me to attack you so I must.-

I considered the possibilities momentarily and replied, -Then I'm sorry about this.- With that I sent my power surging forth and gripping Umbreon and stopping her movement.

She spoke quietly but I heard what she said, -I wouldn't have it any other way.-

[Gary's POV]

"Umbreon!" I cried and ran forward to seize my friend, if I had hurt her or worse for just a pokémon then I would kill myself.

After checking her over I realized she had only been paralyzed so I returned her to her pokéball and looked up to see the pokémon's odd yellow eyes stare back. I had thought that the dragon had left already and realized that it might not be all that friendly.

I started slowly backing away to my car and to Pikachu but for every step I took the dragon took two until its face was only about a foot away. I noticed that its eyes had changed to a deep soothing purple. I thought to myself what is that dragon going to do now?

The dragon pulled back seemingly affronted by something, maybe it was a psychic and had read my mind? I turned around to run to my car only to have the dragon block my retreat. I started backing away towards the lake but the dragon still followed me. I stopped and the dragon stopped, what to do? The dragon didn't seem to want to attack anything but was that just a façade? I shook my head and decided to stop backing away.

I looked up at the dragon again and then turned away, ignoring it. I walked to my previous spot by the lake and sat down ignoring the pokémon. I heard the dragon move and waited for the feel of claws on my back but it never came. Instead the dragon moved to sprawl down on the ground next to me. I couldn't take the suspense anymore so I looked at the dragon to see it staring at me again.

The creature moved itself to its feet and walked over to where I was sitting, it the curled itself around my body but with its head still staring at me.

Well, I thought to myself maybe I just won't catch this one.

[Lance's POV]

I got off Dragonite's back when we reached the beach, I sent Dragonite back into his pokéball and looked around. I seemed to be the only one here, most likely, I thought to myself wirily, because it's nighttime.

I stripped of my clothing except for my underwear [BA: sorry but he isn't going skinny dipping.] and dove into the ocean to feel the shock of cold water hit my body. I allowed for my mind to blank and just drifted around.

[Ash's POV]

I sat there with Gary staring out across the water when Pikachu decided to appear. She took one look at me and jumped up onto my head, -I just knew you would come back and you did! It's so good to see you again Pikapi!-

It's good to hear you again Pikachu, but it would be better to see you again.

Pikachu scampered down my neck and out onto my arm in front of me and tilted her head to the side, -You look different,- She volunteered when neither of us spoke.

I threw my head back and roared my laughter startling both Pikachu and Gary. -Maybe just a little from before,- my teasing made Pikachu giggle at the irony of both our statements.

[Lance's POV]

I realized suddenly that I had fallen into a sort of sleep from the tranquil sounds of water and looked around quickly to find that I had drifted past the sight of the beach. It was light enough that I could see but there was only endless blue.

I began to panic, where am I? How can I get out to shore? And what was that noise? I soon saw to my horror that I was drifting towards an enormous whirlpool. I began to struggle against the current but it did no good, I couldn't get out of the current! As I was sucked into the maelstrom of water the last sight I saw was a Gyarados.

[Gary's POV]

I pulled my car into the driveway to my grandfather's home and got out. The dragon had been weird to see, he acted almost as if he could think like humans but had the natural grace that only a pokémon could have. Pikachu jumped up onto my shoulder and exclaimed, "pi pika pikachu!" That was another thing that bothered me, Pikachu had been completely depressed after Ash's death but now seemed to have forgotten him completely for how happy she was.

When I was walking up the stairs I heard a soft whooshing noise and realized that the dragon pokémon had followed me back home. I laughed to myself at the thought of grandpa's face when he saw the creature. "I doubt you can fit in the door," I addressed the pokémon solemnly but with a slight smile on my face, "you can however go and nest in grandpa's backyard, though it is already populated by a lot of other pokémon."

I then opened the door and went inside, not looking to see if the creature stayed or not.

[Lance's POV]

I heard voices, they were talking about something but I couldn't hear what they were saying, when I strained to hear I could hear snatches of conversation. "You... too late...hypothermia...drowning...won't live much longer."

I ignored them when I suddenly found the darkness to be fascinating. I started walking around and suddenly could see everything again, only it was a bit muzzy.

I stared down at a face...Mine? It was sickly white and seemed to be drawn into itself. I shuttered and backed away from it. I wanted nothing to do with that disgusting thing. There was a long buzz coming from some machine and a lot of people rushed into the room. I started to panic, that was me! I'm dead! It's not supposed to happen like that!

I then began to worry, what if I became a ghost? The thought scared me, but why hadn't I seen that light at the end of the tunnel like all those people with near death experiences said there was?

I suddenly thought of my dragons, they had it lucky, they were free from all bonds and were able to go wherever they wanted, why couldn't I have a life like that?

I felt myself being pulled off to someplace and didn't know anything after that.

[Lance's POV]

My eyes slowly opened, I registered that I was in what appeared to be a pokécenter before closing them again.

[Satoshi POV]

Something was in my head, I pushed at it, Go away, I'm trying to sleep. Surprisingly the presence went away.

Unfortunately it wasn't for long, suddenly I was hit with a large amount of water, most likely a water gun attack, I cracked open a water-dripping eye only to see Totodile doing his little dance and singing some unintelligible song. Totodile I wined, why did you do that?

Totodile blinked at me and scampered off without making a reply, He did it because I told him to. I groaned to myself mentally and turned my head around to stare at the annoying psychic cat.

Mewtwo. Why are you here? I slowly got to my feet and peered at him through my iridescent eyes that were most likely a muddy green showing my laziness to all the world.

Why my apprentice! You seem suspicious for some reason. The purple pokémon looked at me then rolled his eyes, really! All I'm here to do is check up on you. I just snorted mockingly at the odd trickster not believing a word of it. Alright, alright, I was planning on having a bit of fun with these ignorant savages, that's nothing to worry about though.

I pulled my lips back to form a smirk, or what a dragon considers a smirk, not a human. Right, I so can trust you to 'only' have a little fun. I managed to lace my voice heavily with sarcasm as I spoke the annoying cat just smirked back at me.

[Gary's POV]

I yawned again forcing my jaw to pop, I had had a horrible night, I'd been dreaming of Ash. In the dream he had been blaming me for his death, saying that if I had actually cared for him I would have stopped Arboc from killing him. All in all it had been pretty bad.

"So Gary, what did you want to show me?" Grandpa sounded more than a little curious. "Gary I need to prepare the lab because I'm being sent a dragonair from the Viridian city pokémon center." I shrugged and smirked mentally to myself the professor was going to get a big shock if that dragon was still in the backyard. He wouldn't care about a dragonair if it meant he got to study a new pokémon.

I opened the door and let grandpa through first, he didn't get far before he stopped dead in his tracks. He and the dragon were staring at each other. I smirked, grandpa was having a rather interesting reaction, he was slowly placing one foot in front of the other, pacing towards the blackish dragon, it on the other hand was copying gramps move for move with his eyes sparkling green with amusement.

"Gary?" I could hardly hear the pokémon researcher speak, "what is that?"

I grinned more widely, "sorry gramps, but I don't know either." And pet the Persian sitting by me feet.


	3. rd chapter

[Lance's POV]

My eyes opened again to see one of those nurse Joys hovering near my head, "Oh you're awake dragonair! We've been very worried about you after what happened to you and your trainer."

I just looked up at her uncomprehendingly, what was going on? Why did Joy call me dragonair? I tried to voice my questions but only managed to make a trill, what had happened to my voice? I began to panic when I thought, this is all a dream, so why should I be worried at all?

I looked around, by all the machinery around here I could probably correctly assume that I was in a pokémon hospital. I looked myself over dreading what I would find. I was in the shape of a dragonair, only instead of having the sleek blue fur I was completely swathed in bandages, I probably couldn't feel the pain because of pain killers, but that didn't matter at the moment.

I focused back in on Joy as she concluded her speech, "-Professor Oak was so overjoyed to learn that he would finally get to study a dragonair. You'll be sent there as soon as I can confirm that you are at full health." Nurse Joy managed to babble incessantly, a trait that was really annoying.

I pulled my head up to look Joy in the eye only to realize that I couldn't see forward, or more to say when I looked forwards I saw a blind spot directly in front of me. I sighed to myself thinking, if this is a dream why didn't I give myself binocular vision.

Oh well, I thought to myself, at least I can fly now.

[Satoshi's POV]

Mewtwo looked up at me from where he sat at Gary's feet, I gave him a dirty look, are you going to just sit there all day?

The illusion shrouded cat gave me the look back, You're just jealous because he's petting me not you.

I snorted, If he knew you weren't just a stray Persian I doubt he would be. I glared at him for a moment before looking at professor Oak.

The old professor looked like he had aged about ten years sense I last saw him. Although, I thought to myself, it might have to do with him seeing an unidentified and seemingly dark dragon lying in front of him and doing absolutely nothing threatening.

Unfortunately he seemed to be in s sort of shock so, I, like the kind heart I am surged to my feet and paced across the uneven soil till I was about a half a foot away from the old man's face and forced myself inside his mind to say one word to him, Boo.

The professor jumped a little in fright but otherwise returned to normal, he turned to where Gary was petting the ersatz Persian and fired off rapid questions about my origin.

I snickered as he continued to dress him down for not telling him about me when he first got back.

Gary himself looked a little dazed at his grandfather's seemingly sudden fierce countenance, I just snickered silently to myself and settled down to watch the truly amusing show.

[Lance's POV]

I sighed again as the Blissey entered the room, the smiling pink egg pokémon seemed to have a crush on me and had been doing it's best to get me to say that I really did love her, I just couldn't show it because of my mental instability. –What do you want now?- I groaned to myself as she smiled at me with tear filled eyes, completely ignoring my curt tone. I hate groupies.

-I know I shouldn't be saddened that you're leaving me today my love but I just can't stand the thought of us being apart.-

I snarled at her but she only took that as a sign of agreement and sighed theatrically, -I know you are saddened to by this loss of connection, our love is true love that has no bounds and cannot be stopped by mere distance between us.-

I started to try to speak but Blissey placed a hand over my muzzle, -There is no need to speak my love, you must conserve your strength for your journey ahead- I wanted to bite the bitch's hand but knew that if I did that she would only summon nurse Joy to sedate the obviously deranged dragonair. And then get the chance to take care of said creature, oh so carefully.

I sighed, I really hate groupies.

[Satoshi's POV]

I looked at the professor dubiously as he hooked me up to a machine, What does this do?

Samuel looked at me in startlement at my invasion of his mind before returning to connecting various wires to both myself and the machine, "It's meant to measure your vital signs, level status and ability status." He finished and walked in front of me to stare into my eyes, "I would like to know why you speak to me telepathically, I'm not a psychic and I didn't capture you."

I knew my amusement was showing through my eyes making him give me a look, I'm speaking to you this way because you don't understand my natural language.

"Alright but I would like to know the name of your species, I haven't heard you talk besides telepathically."

Ummm... I scratched the my left ear with my forepaw, I kindda think that I'm the first of my species so I really don't know.

"You don't know?" Samuel Oak looked at me skeptically, "you must at least have a name you call yourself by."

I thought for a moment, if I told him I was Satoshi he might recognize the name and question me on it. Then again I don't think I ever let him know I also went by Satoshi. I'm Satoshi.

He looked puzzled so I listened in to hear what he was thinking, I know that name from somewhere, but where? If I know whom maybe I can learn more about this 'Satoshi'.'

I pulled out of his mind and chuckled to myself, he wouldn't be able to learn more about me except from myself, or possibly Gary.

He gave me a considering look, "your eyes are definitely unique, giving a new meaning to the saying 'eyes are the gateway to the soul."' I just stayed silent until he moved to another subject, I sighed, why did I agree to this interrogation?

[Satoshi]

I yawned and stretched, I had just woken up from a rather depressing dream where Lance had died, that of course couldn't be true because Lance was too smart to die.

I sighed and looked around me, Mewtwo was still snoozing on the grass not to far from me. I moved silently closer to him and he still didn't wake up, he didn't wake up when I poked him lightly with a clawed finger. I grinned, I was going to have fun with this. Maybe he wouldn't mind being striped?

I started walking up to the house to see if I could find a good marker to use when I noticed that Gary still had his light on. I quickly glanced up at the sky, by the positioning of the moon I realized that it had to be morning already. I sighed thinking back to the person who had taught me to read stars. Lance.

[Flashback]

"_Right," I rolled my eyes and glanced at the figure laying a few feet away, "next thing you'll be saying that snorlax can fly."_

_I heard a disappointed sigh, "I'd been hoping you would have believed that."_

_Gary spoke up from by the fire, "My Ash couldn't possibly believe such an obvious lie. Really who would believe that you had managed a dratini for your second pokémon let alone your starter?"_

_Lance harrumphed, "actually Diamond was my second pokémon, my Charzard, Obsidian was my starter, even though he was a charmander then."_

_I turned to look at where other man was laying in his sleeping bag and asked, "are you serious?" _

"_Yes."_

_Gary just snorted incredulously and changed the subject to his favorite complain., Lodging. "I still don't see how sleeping out in the woods is helping out with training, we could just as easily be renting rooms out in that hotel a few miles back instead of sleeping on the ground."_

_Lance and I shared a glance of amusement at Gary's 'misfortune,' "You do realize that if you really wanted to stay at the hotel you could have?"_

"_But if I had I wouldn't be here with you Ash." I sighed, Shigeru was really possessive almost to the point of obsession. He wouldn't even let me be alone with another guy, he would just appear and then wrap himself around me. It was even worse with Lance, for some reason Gary had the idea that Lance liked me and would therefore never let me be alone with him._

_I looked over at said dragon master, he does look good, I admitted to myself, but I highly doubt he is interested in me. I looked away before he could see me staring at him and saw Gary glaring at Lance as if me not giving him a hundred percent of my attention was his fault. I grinned ruefully, this time that was pretty accurate._

_I slipped out of my sleeping bag careful not to disturb the sleeping Pikachu and sat next to Gary wrapping by arms around his waist and resting my chin on his shoulder, he turned enough to put his arms around my shoulders but didn't speak._

_After a little I heard footsteps and saw out of the corner of my eye that Lance had sat down near us but closer to the fire. I heard a rustle and turned my head to see what Lance was doing. He was pulling out what looked like gray stones out of the fire's edge._

"_It's already eight, so will anyone else be eating before they go to sleep?" I shifted out of Shigeru's grasp so that I could take the plate with the two grayish clay packets that was offered me._

_Gary took the other plate and grimaced at the things, "what are we suppose to do with there things?" I pointed at one of my own packets which I had already broken open to reveal the baked potato inside._

_Gary made a face of disgust at the things and broke open one of his to reveal a skinned Huntail, I heard him mutter something along the lines of 'gross' and 'disgusting.' I ignored Gary's mumblings in favor of food and contemplating sleep. I had after all just spent the day training with Lance and any other wild pokémon I could find._

_I realized something though, Lance didn't have a watch, so how did he know what time it was? "Lance?" I asked, "how could you tell what time it was? Or did you just guess?"_

"_No, you can tell what the time is by where the moon or sun are positioned in the sky."_

_Now that's interesting and helpful thing to know, "can you teach me how to tell then?"_

_I think that startled him a little and I caught him beginning to grin before he caught himself, "sure."_

[end flashback]

I would have to go see Lance sometime soon, only make sure that he didn't catch me, after all he was obsessed with dragons and as a new dragon he would probably become obsessed with me. I snickered at the thought, Gary would be right about Lance then.

I suddenly realized that I had become completely distracted by memories. I looked back at the house and started moving silently towards it again with my reason fixed firmly in my mind, find a marker and draw stripes all over Mewtwo.

When I reached the door I shifted into my previous human form, opened the door and closed it silently behind me. I quickly located the office and found a permanent marker inside of one of the drawers, I turned around to go back and saw Gary standing in front of me, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, I too stood frozen for a moment, caught up in shock and panic at the moment. Shigeru whispered, "Sato?"

That was enough to pull me out of my shock, I transformed quickly into a Gengar and turned transparent within a split second, dropping the pen as I quickly walked past him and out.

[Gary]

I stood frozen staring at the spot where I had seen Satoshi I thought, that couldn't have been him, at the same moment I though, that must have been him.

I walked a little further into the room and looked down when my foot hit something, it was the marker that the ghost had been holding. I picked it up and headed back upstairs not thinking about anything, not even wondering about why Satoshi had wanted a permanent marker.

[Satoshi]

I woke up rather abruptly; the sun was shinning in my unprotected eyes. Well, unprotected except for my eyelids, which didn't do much good. I snapped my eyes open and winced, mental note to self, don't open your eyes. I yawned.

I heard a mental snicker and stopped midway, what now Mewtwo? I closed my jaws with a snap.

Oh nothing.

I looked over to Mewtwo and saw the cat arching his back and an angle that made me wince. Or I suppose it would have if I were still a human, instead I just mentally winced but remained undeterred, what?

What, what?

I growled and turned away from the annoying thing, intending to go and bathe by plunging into the pond, Mewtwo, I thought decisively, is by far too mischievous to be of any use.

Oh I wouldn't say that, after all, I'm not a ghost. I spun around to face the mind reading mutant, managing to whack my tail on a few trees in the process. Oooh, that looked like it hurt. He cooed.

I pulled back my lips from my teeth revealing a row of long wicked dagger-like fangs and snarled loud enough to scare the pidgeys from the trees, I am NOT, in a good mood right now, so unless you want your head up your ass, I suggest that you SHUT UP, and leave me alone.

I turned back to the water, being careful not to hit my tail again it **hurt**, but I wasn't about to let that damn fuzzy purple cat know he was right.

[Lance]

"Now professor, remember not to remind dragonair of his trainer, you really don't want for him to go rouge on you." I lay perfectly still as I listened to nurse Joy talk to Samuel Oak on the phone. Today I was suppose to be transported to his lab so that he could do research on how the loss of a trainer affected the pokémon.

I would have been sent over yesterday, that is if I hadn't bitten a chunk out of Blissey's arm.

_[Flashback]_

_I had my eyes closed so that I couldn't see that annoying, bitchy, ugly pink blob that was currently trying to cry all over my neck._

_I ground my sharp teeth together an annoyance as the thing started squeezing my neck as well as crying on it. _All right_, I thought, _That's it._ I rolled off of the bed I was sitting on, slipping off on the sheets that Blissey was sobbing on._

_-My love,- She sobbed, -I just cannot let you go, all my brave words, all of my assurances, they were all false.-_ Just like you,_ I thought viciously, any sympathy I felt for the bitch had long since vanished. _

_-Pink and red, both colors of love, showing how we were _meant_ for each other.- I snorted, maybe pink could be love but red was not, my red scales didn't mean that I had to do anything, let alone love anything pink that decide I must love it._

_-Does that mean that I love everything pink? That I'm destined to fall for any Chancy and Blissey I see?- She looked up from where her head lay on the bed, tears still streaming downward, making a pool on the sheets._

_-My love you to are distraught,- she walked towards me, her eyes having stopped wasting water but still threatening to overflow._

_I slithered backwards, trying to evade the nurse without damaging her, I didn't want for her to keep me here and in her care longer than necessary. Unfortunately that didn't work, she had managed to back me into a corner before caressing my snout and kissing me lightly on the nose and continued to caress my head as she whispered soothingly to me._

_My body froze in shock, _How dare that, that _thing,_ kiss me? _I looked at the egg pokémon with a rage-clouded mind, the blood red of my scales infecting my vision as I lunged for the creature._

_My jaw clamped down on a flailing pink arm and tore viciously at the flesh. My mouth came away with a chunk of blood, muscles and fur, which I quickly spat out with disgust._

_The Blissey screeched as red liquid splashed down her body, -there you go- I snarled, -a union of pink and red.- She looked at me with fear filled eyes and ran out the door as I calmly flew back to my bed, ignoring the wet pool of tears as well as the slick red wetness coating my scales and curled up to go to sleep. _

[End flashback]

Blissey had left him alone after that and anytime he saw her she would flee with terror. Blisseys were truly weak pokémon, they got beaten once and after that they never fought back.

"-all right professor, I'll just send dragonair over now."

Nurse Joy entered the room with a cautious step, even though she had been the one to make sure that he wasn't going rouge, she was still scared of him and therefore walked on eggshells anytime she was around him.

He noticed she was holding a pokéball and sighed, those things were damn annoying. She called out, "Dragonair! Return!" The customary red light issued from the thing, outlining his form as it separated every molecule in his body to absorb him. After that all he could see was darkness.

[Gary]

I walked downstairs, my mind was still a little fuzzy from sleep. Unfortunately I couldn't seem to get the picture of Ash out of my mind. What had he been doing there? Had he been a ghost? Or was he just a hallucination? I fingered the small ash filled trinket as I walked, my mind so clouded that I didn't notice where I was going.

I was standing on the back porch when I come back to myself and looked around, all the pokémon were still lounging around, it was after all six in the morning. I spotted the odd furred dragon sitting by the pond, it's tail curled around it as it peered at the water in what seemed to be deep concentration.

I walked over to it and sat down next to it, looking first at the creature and then at the water. We sat there for some time- doing nothing but stare companionably at the water, not thinking at all- just, relaxing.

I vaguely heard someone moving around back at the house but ignored it. The dragon on the other hand developed twitchy ears. Almost as if it were anxious about something. I heard someone's footsteps as gravel crunched underneath their feet and looked up to see gramps standing over me.

"Gary- I just got off the phone with nurse Joy, the one from Saffron city who was sending me that dragonair—"

"Oh yes, how is it?" Grandpa wordlessly held out an ultra ball and pressed the button to release the creature inside. The dragon the came out wasn't the normal blue- it was red.

"But that wasn't the reason I wanted to talk to you." The old man sighed and sat down next to me as the two dragons stared at each other unblinkingly. "After I talked to Joy I got a call from Clair."

I looked at him curiously, why did he think that I cared if he got a call from a dragon trainer? "And?" I asked when he didn't seem to want to continue speaking.

"And I'm sorry Gary but your friend Lance is dead." I blinked at him, so what if that dragon freak died? All he ever did was stare pathetically at **my** Satoshi. No, I thought, Sato isn't yours anymore, he's dead and thinking about that dragon trainer isn't going to help any.

I looked up at gramps whom was looking at me expectantly, "Is something wrong grandfather?"

The old man looked at me in exasperation, "I tell you that one of your friends is dead and you don't react, you don't even ask how he died. When Ash died you were depressed and now not even two days after he was buried you are back to acting as if everything is normal." Gary's grandfather threw up his hands in disgust, "It's like you don't even care that two of the closest people in your life are dead!"

Gary stood and looked down at his relative, "I don't act like I care because I don't, Ash probably wouldn't have wanted for me to mourn him and as for Lance,--"I snorted, "I never cared for him. I only dealt with him because Ash seemed to like him." I couldn't stop the bitterness from entering my voice, I had seen the heated glances that Lance sent Sato when he thought no one was looking; I could hardly stand the red haired freak so I was glad he was dead.

I started walking towards the house so that I wouldn't have to deal with my memories but something stopped me, a very very angry dark purple dragon to be precise. It looked at me from bloodied red eyes and drew back it's forepaw to strike at me with it's long claws. I stood paralyzed with fear, unable to do anything but stare at the suddenly fearsome dragon, "Satoshi, stop!"

I felt my eyes widen as I heard my grandfather, that dragon was named Satoshi? My mind raced, Ash and I had called each other by a name we had each chosen for ourselves, Satoshi and Shigeru. It couldn't be just a coincidence that the dragon had appeared at Sato's burial, bearing his name. It really must have been him last night when he was down in the office, not just a figment of my imagination.

I looked at the dragon in growing comprehension, he saw this and I saw satisfaction growing in his eyes, "Ash?" My voice sounded broken, even to me as I stared in disbelief at the creature.

It lowered it's paw but instead his head shot out towards me and delicately grasped the pendant holding all that I had of Ash.

It jerked it's head back savagely, breaking the silver chain holding the bauble onto my neck, Ash to ashes and now to dust. Sato's so familiar voice filled my head as the creature tossed the trinket into the air and shot a gout of flame at it, incinerating the thing.

You don't deserve to be happy. And with that Satoshi sprang up into the air and flew away from me and my house as I collapsed, staring blankly at the ground.


	4. th chapter

[Lance]

When I had first come out of my pokéball I saw odd brown eyes that reminded me of Ash and rewoke the familiar ach that resided within me, making me recall that I had managed to kill of the owner of those brown eyes.

As I drowned in those eyes as I saw them slowly bleed to red and shift towards someone else. With the spell that the mesmerizing orbs had on me broken I looked to see who owned them. A dark purpley-blue dragon who's wings faded into black fur was revealed to me. He was beautiful.

I absently listened into the conversation and admired the way the creature's muscles rippled as he first threw his head back and shot flame. Then leaping once a few feet and using the momentum to shove off the ground with powerful shove of his legs and a downbeat of his wings.

I continued to watch as the amazing creature flew off, Well go after him you idiot! I snapped my head around to see a cattish creature glaring at me large eyes narrowed almost to slits.

-What?- Was all I could say.

Were you listening at all?

My mind slowly thought back to what had been said and my eyes grew progressively

wider. Suddenly I was flung up into the air by an unseen force, Now go after him! Don't just lay there gawking! I looked widely down at the purple psyche cat who still had a arm outstretched.

I looked to where I could still see a dark purple dot in the rising sun and shot after it.

[Mewtwo]

I watched in satisfaction as the red dragon followed Satoshi, this was an unforeseen twist that I gladly embraced. Right now Sato would be angry and saddened at this little twist of betrayal, or at least what he thought was betrayal. I may have foresight but that doesn't meant that I can know everything, that Lance had turned into a dragon himself had been completely unknown to me until a minuet ago, I suppose that's part of what makes life so interesting.

I saw Lance's pokéball laying innocuously by the water and crushed the thing, I never liked those mechanical monstrosities, like little holding cells until the enslaved pokémon were released to do as their masters commanded.

I turned towards the humans, my absolute hatred of the species springing up instantly but was almost as quickly suppressed. The rejected one, Gary, sat dazed and staring at the ground. The other one, Samuel, stared at me in awe.

I sighed and began erasing their memories of what transpired.

[Satoshi]

I howled my rage at the sky and beat my wings at a frantic pace, the muscles in my wings and shoulders working but not able to go at the punishing pace I wanted. I couldn't cry, oh, how I wanted and yearned to cry. But no matter how much I tried no tears would spring to my eyes and stream into my fur.

I furiously pumped energy into my wings, keeping my limbs tucked next to my body to be more aerodynamic. I looked at the rising sun and screamed furiously at it, trying to draw the power of the rays into myself so that I could go faster. My wing beats grew wider and I surged upwards. My anger at the world, Gary, my inability to cry and at my self translating into my furious agility as I flew up, up towards the sun, the stars and the coldness of space.

I flew until my wings had to beat twice as hard to stay in the air, the air thinned to a point were I gasped weakly at the frigid air that stabbed daggers into my lungs with every inhalation.

I flapped weakly at the air, my lungs slowing down and my limbs becoming sluggish as there was no energy left in them. I looked down at the earth, all swirling greens, browns and blues, the living colors. I pointed myself downwards towards the vast blueness of the sea and fell, gaining heat and warmth as I fell at a tremendous velocity.

When I hit the water I didn't stop, even though the impact was like a thousand sledgehammers, each trying to destroy me. My speed slowed slightly but didn't prevent me from hurtling to the valleys that lay deep underground, where the water was heavy enough to kill. And still I swam down, down to the undersea vents, down past the point where any sane creature would go, still I went on.

Down, down, into the black deep, I sensed to ground near and snapped out my wings, the water trying to crush me under it's immense weight. Nothing lived down here, nothing could, it felt exactly like my mind, something no one could bare, not even myself.

There wasn't even sand down here, the weight of the water pounded it down into rocks, like the world that crushed each person's dreams, one by one.

I savagely growled and shoved off the ground, hardly able to go up for the weight of the water as it tried to pound my down like my dreams. My strained and abused muscles could hardly stand the pressure of the water but still I continued up, up, up my breath strained in my lungs as I tried to breath but found I couldn't. My muscles screamed and protested, demanding air that I couldn't give.

I moved easier and easier up through the water but slowed down, my body becoming unresponsive under my mind's sluggish commands. I finally broke through the surface and gasped the air.

I blacked out as I felt a red creature wrap it's body around my own.

My mind woke before my body did, the logical side of my mind finally came into play. Why had I been so upset at what Gary had said? He was right enough that I would want for him to move on, so why had I reacted so violently?

A little voice in the back of my head sniggered and pointed out, you know why. It was about Lance.

I tried to shake my head furiously but couldn't, I was after all still unconscious. Was the voice right? Did I really care what Gary thought about Lance?

Why had I reacted so angrily when I found out that he was dead? I thought back to by feeling I had any time I was around the dragon master, I didn't even feel that when I slept with Gary.

But none of the companionship, friendship or, yes my love of the red haired man mattered anymore because he died. I growled deeply at that before noticing that my body had reacted, meaning that I was waking up.

I opened my eyes to see moss green eyes peering worriedly back at me. I recognized those eyes. But how could they be his? I broke eye contact to see who it was that had rescued me. It was that same dragonair that the professor had gotten today, if it was still today that is.

It slowly moved forward and lightly nuzzled my cheek, -are you alright?- It murmured.

I didn't respond, my mind whirled and my cheek tingled where the other dragon had touched me, that voice, those eyes, it was exactly like Lance, only it couldn't be. Yes, the little voice in my head said, and wouldn't you say that it's impossible to become a dragon?

-Ash?- The other's voice query worriedly.

Lance? Asked brokenly back.

The dragon nodded slightly and I rushed forward, seizing the dragonair around the neck and nuzzled his face. I licked his face with my tongue, trying to capture his scent and forever imprint it in my mind. -I love you,- I whispered fiercely, not caring if he threw me off in disgust.

Lance didn't move for a moment but then relaxed and wrapped his long sinuous body around mine, -I love you and I'm not going to lose you this time.-

Dragons can't cry, but this time I didn't need to.


End file.
